The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-11-27

duced his friend to his companions as "Old
Nicholson the what-d ye- call-um's SON.
sonn eat IN dumb agony Colette's foul walls
and maculate table linen, and down to
Colette's vilanous casters. seemed like objects
in a nightmare And just then there came
knock and a scurrying: the police. so lamentably
absent from the Cation Hill. appeared upon the
scene; and the party taken hagrante delicto,
with their glasses st their elbows were seized,
marched up to the police officer, and all duly
summoned to appear as witnesses in the conse-
quent case against that arch-snebeener Colette.
It was sorrowful and nightly sobered COM
papy that came forth again. The vague terror
of public opinion weighed generally on them all;
but there were private and particular horrors on
the minds of individuals. Alan stood in dread
of his trustee. already sorey tried. One of the
group was the son OF country minister an
other of a Judge; John, the unhappiest of all,
had David Nicholson to father. the idea of facing
whom such a scandalous subject was physic-
ally sickenng They stood awhile consulting
under the buttresses of Saint Giles; thence they
adjourned to the lodgings of one of the mum Der
IN North Castle street, where, for that matter,
they might have had quite as good supper,
and far better to drink, than in the dangerous
paradise from which they had been routed
There almost fearful glass, they de-
oated their position. Each explaineo ne nad the
world to lose if the affair went on. and he APP
peared a witness. It was remarkable what
bright prospects were just then In the very act
of opening before each of that little company of
youths. and what pious consideration for the
feelings of their families began now TO we'll from
them. Each, moreover, was in an odd state OF
the fine; not one but evinced wonderful twinkle
of hope that each of the Others. in succession,
the very man who could step in to make
good the deficit. One took high hand; he
could not pay his share if it went to a trial, he
should bolt; he had always felt the English bar
to be his true sphere. Another branched out
into touching details about his family and was
not listened to- John, in the midst of this dis
orderly competition of poverty and meanness,
sat stunned, contemplating the mountain bulk
of his misfortunes.
At last. upon a pledge that each should apply
to his family with common fraukness, this con-
vention of unhappy young asses broke IN. went
down the common stair, and in the gray of the
spring morning, with the streets lying dead and
empty all about them, the lamps burning on into
the daylight with diminished lustre and the
birds beginning to sound premonitory notes
from the groves Of tho town gardens, went each
his own way with bowed head and echoing foot
fall
The rocks were awake in Randolph Crescent;
but the windows looked down. discreetly blind
ed. on the return of the prodgal. Johns pass
key was recent privilege; this was the first
time it had been used; and, ., with what a sick
enine sense of his unwor thiness, he now inserted
IL in the well-oiied lock and entered that cita-
del of the proprieties! All slept the in the
hall had been left family burning to light his
return; a dreadful stiffness reigned. broken by
the deep ticking OF the eight-day clock. He put
the gas out, and sat chair in the hall, wait
ing and counting the minutes, longing for any
human countenance. But when at last he heard
the alarm spring it's rattle in the lower story,
and the servants beginning to be about, he
instantly lost heart, and fed to his own room,
where he threw himself upon the bod